Friday, July 3, 2009

SON OF A SEKULOVITCH!

If you didn't know already, Karl Malden's real name was Mladen Sekulovich. And whenever possible, he tried to work that name into his dialogue in various movies. (O'Bviously he couldn't do it in his scenes for "How The West Was Won"; not sure it would have worked in "Bullwhip Griffin" either.)

Here's what Wikipedia has on Malden's use of the name:

(Karl) Malden often found ways to say "Sekulovich" in films and television shows in which he appears. For example, as General Omar Bradley in "Patton", as his troops slog their way through enemy fire in Sicily, Malden says "Hand me that helmet, Sekulovich" to another soldier.
In "Dead Ringer", as a police detective in the squad room, Malden tells another detective: "Sekulovich, gimme my hat."
In "Fear Strikes Out", Malden, playing Jimmy Piersall's father John, introduces Jimmy to a baseball scout named Sekulovich.
In "Birdman of Alcatraz", as a prison warden touring the cell block, Malden recites a list of inmates' names, including Sekulovich. (Malden's father was not pleased, as he told his son 'Mladen, no Sekulovich has ever been in prison!')
Also, in "On the Waterfront", in which Malden plays the priest, among the names of the officers of Local 374 called out in the courtroom scene is Mladen Sekulovich, Delegate.
Perhaps the most notable usage of his real name was in the TV series 'The Streets of San Francisco'. Malden's character in the program, Mike Stone, employed a legman (played by Art Metrano) with that name, who did various errands.
[edited]

According to the IMDb.com, Art Passarella also played an Officer Sekulovich in two episodes of 'Streets of San Francisco': "Breakup" and "Dead Lift".

I have no problem for Toobworld in suggesting that Sgt. M. Sekulovich and Officer Sekulovich were related. As there was nearly a thirty year age difference between the men, Metrano's Sekulovitch could have been the son of Passarella's.
BCnU!

1 comment:

Terence Towles Canote said...

I figure in Movieworld the name "Sekulovich" must be very common, given Karl Malden threw into every movie he ever made!